Week 8: Does bear taste better slow-cooked or deep-fried?

There are certain clichés I try and avoid while writing, the key word being “try.”

Therefore, I have avoided using the famous line from the Wizard of Oz movie when playing the Lions and the Bears in successive weeks provided the perfect time to use it.

This also means I won’t be referencing the famous Chris Farley sketch about a certain group of superfans.

I’ll let everyone else make those references.

Now then, I have some things to say about last week’s victory against the Lions.

It was a solid victory, but it was still nerve-wracking that the Vikings had to erase a 14-3 deficit to win.  Starts like that must become a thing of the past if we are ever going to beat that green and gold team whose fans like to rub any success in everyone else’s faces.

As we all know, the team turned it around from there and the Lions scored just five more points the rest of the game.  There are still issues to resolve, but I think we all would have taken 4-2 if Doc Brown had shown up in the Delorean back in August and told us that it would be our record through six games.

Next up, the usual trip to Soldier Field and those awful field conditions to play a Bears team that is currently struggling at 2-4.  The Vikings have been inching toward a return to relevancy this season, having won four of the first six games of the season.  The best way to continue this run is to finally snap an inexplicable losing streak (we couldn’t even beat them on the road in 2009).

This game feels like it will go one of two ways.  Either the Vikings will roll into Chicago and fix up a hearty Bear dinner, or Chicago will win a track meet as the defense completely regresses and a huge day by the Vikings offense is wasted.  What I’m trying to say is that the Vikings will score a lot of points, win or lose.

There’s a huge difference between 5-2 and 4-3, and given that the Vikings have the chance to keep up with the Packers for the first time in almost five years, we need to snap this ugly losing streak.  I’m predicting an interception for Harrison Smith off of Jay Cutler.  Teddy just needs to keep doing what he’s doing.  Another 300 yard day from him (with no turnovers) would almost certainly equal a victory if Adrian can carve up the Bears like he usually does.

That’s all I’ve got to say for this week.  If you haven’t already, check out the latest podcast on Soundcloud where Branden and I reviewed the Vikings-Lions game and looked ahead to this week.

It’s time to turn Soldier Field into Skol-dier Field.

Get the Brooms! In other words, it's another podcast.

https://soundcloud.com/vikings-cavalcade/podcast-2-get-the-brooms

The next podcast from us!  We discuss the Vikings win over the Lions last week.

Vikings Week 7: Over .500, Underwhelming 'O'

After falling hard and never recovering post-Adrian Peterson scandal last year, it's quite encouraging to see the Vikings at 3-2 through five games in 2015. 

But...we may have put a bit too much stock in a Vikings offense still trying to find a consistent identity with Teddy Bridgewater under center.  With the way the Vikings came out rolling on offense, I think most of us thought an early 10-0 lead would turn into 17-0 would turn into 24-0 and...well, you get the idea; Blowout City: population Andy Reid.

Instead, the Vikings couldn't finish many drives and despite dominating the game, slipped away with a 16-10 win over a Kansas City Chiefs team missing Jamaal Charles.  If Charles had never suffered his injury against the Bears, he would have done just enough and the Vikings would have lost this game.    

What was a nice return to form for much-maligned (but not by this blogger) kicker Blair Walsh (1/1 PAT 3/3 FG) was overshadowed by a flat performance from the Vikings offense.  Adrian Peterson could not get it going as the Chiefs clearly keyed in on stopping him during their entire week of preparation.

The defense played well enough, making some big plays to ice the game where recent Vikings teams would have given up the go-ahead touchdown to lose.  Perhaps it's not a huge surprise that the team coached by a former defensive coordinator would have the defense far ahead of the offense in terms of productivity. 

I'm not sure of an answer.  What I do know is that the offensive line has to continue to round into form.  Teddy can make the throws just fine if he's not running for his life every other play.  He'll make some mistakes, but he's also a second year pro.  

There was some late breaking news before this post went up: Adrian Peterson is ill and is questionable for tomorrow.  I was all-aboard the hype train for a Vikings road win, but this throws a wrench into everything.  

The Vikings won six of their seven games without Peterson last year, and if he isn't 100% (his illness slows him down) or he doesn't wind up playing, I like the prospect of Matt Asiata, the human wrecking ball, pounding the Lions.  

The question is, if Peterson doesn't produce (or play), do the Vikings have enough in the tank to get a rare road win and sweep a divisional opponent for the first time since 2012?

Interview with Branden: Bye Week Special

Here it is, our first upload using Soundcloud!  Description is on the file on Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/vikings-cavalcade/bye-week-12-questions-wbranden

Bye Week part one: Can a Vikings loss be positive?

In week four, the Vikings showed me everything I wanted to see against the Broncos.  Well, almost everything; I really wanted the upset victory.  But, I think the team will be okay even without it.

Some people in the Vikings football fandom will look at this loss and continue to be angry at the team for “not being as good as the Packers RIGHT NOW!”  I get it…we’re always the little brother in the NFC North.  But that’s another topic for another day (trust me…the pain of having to watch that team fall into two good quarterbacks over 25 years will be addressed soon).

But Sunday wasn’t about trying to get big brother’s attention.  Sunday was about planning our own future.

The old gunslinger managed to slip away with a victory after the Vikings fought tooth and nail to pull the upset.  There were some early moments that seemed to spell doom for the purple and gold, but the team continued fighting; a trademark of the young Mike Zimmer era.

You can’t be upset about Teddy Bridgewater’s effort.  The Vikings faced the top ranked pass defense in the league, and he faced pressure on just about every snap.  The result: a fairly accurate passing day, a touchdown and no interceptions.  He was sacked seven times and the Vikings still had a chance to win the game at the end.

 In short, Teddy looked like the guy we drafted, playing well in a big spot.  The loss itself will, in the long run, go on the long list of chokes in big spots, but I’m not mad about this one, because this team is only going to get better from here. 

Anyway…the team is on a bye for Week 5, which means the preview for the Kansas City game will come next week.  Branden and I may get together this weekend; if we do, you should get something else in addition to the blog post you are reading right now.

Road Warriors...or Legion of Doomed?

The Vikings seem to be finding an identity as a physical team.  Mike Zimmer wants this group to simply beat up whoever lines up as the signal caller across from his front seven.  One week later, I’m willing to bet Phillip Rivers is still feeling the sting from the Vikings-Chargers game.

I did not see a blowout coming.  San Diego is a solid team, and I think we’ll continue to see that throughout the rest of the season.  Of course, on the other hand, maybe this means the Vikings are a solid team, too. 

Do we dare buy into the hype?  I mean, it was only three short weeks ago that the Vikings lost 20-3 in the latest prime time game to forget.  Now, however, the Vikings look like a completely different team after a pair of solid victories at home.  The big test approaches; a late afternoon contest in Denver against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  Yes, Peyton Manning is several years older than the last time the Vikings faced him, but he is (to borrow a phrase) quarterback immortality.

I don’t expect the Vikings to win this game on the road, but if things continue to progress the way they have, look for Minnesota to play the Broncos close.  It will be interesting to see if either Peyton Manning, one of the best final-drive QBs in the history of this sport will get to lead one, or if the Broncos will leave too much time for Teddy.

Or, it could be an embarrassing beatdown for the Vikings, who will be thin at receiver.  But, I don’t like to think like that.  Here’s to a hopeful 3-1 start.  If the Vikings can beat Denver, I think it’s okay to get on the Skol Train.